Here is why cable series have a better chance of growing viewers throughout a season with an uninterrupted run. Coming back from a holiday hiatus, ABC’s Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Goldbergs began building momentum with two consecutive weeks of ratings gains. That came to a screeching halt last night when Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. aired a rerun, snapping the streak for both series. With the comic book drama airing a repeat (0.9), The Goldbergs (1.5) slipped 17% from last week (but built nicely onto its lead-in). Trophy Wife (1.0) was down a tenth from last Tuesday to a series low, while the third episode of Killer Women (0.7) held steady at its dismal Week 2 rating. (Killer Women is slated to stay on the air for another month until it is replaced by another midseason drama, Mind Games, on February 25)

Fox‘s comedies posted strong week-to-week gains against Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the entire CBS lineup in repeats. Dads (1.5) was up 25% from last week. Fellow rookie Brooklyn Nine-Nine (1.9) was up 36% and topped incumbent New Girl (1.8, up 13%) for the first time. The Mindy Project (1.5) jumped 36% for its winter finale. But there is no chance for the block to keep the momentum for the same reasons listed above — next Tuesday only Dads will air an original as Fox will preempt some of its series for the State Of The Union address. With NCIS,NCIS: LA and Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. all in reruns, The Biggest Loser (1.9) was up 12% from last week, while Chicago Fire (1.8) was flat. NBC won the night in 18-49, with CBS taking total viewers. On the CW, The Originals (1.0, 2.4 million) rose 11% in 18-49 and 14% in viewers. Supernatural (1.1) was up 10% from last week and drew 2.7 million viewers, its larges audience in more than three years.

10 Comments

Iakovos • on Jan 22, 2014 9:24 am

Point is so well made regarding building momentum for series. Stops and starts annoy me and have caused me to just walk away from some shows. I am just not sure what has become of network television. It is as if the giants have become stupid. ABC does not seem to be able to master scheduling (and it has destroyed its own daytime prestige and prominence and brand). NBC was boneheaded when it gave up scripted programming for a 10 PM Leno show and commitment to reality, thus destroying all the quality must-see TV it developed in the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. CBS is strong but seemingly on the shoulders of show that seem so similar. Where is some of the Tiffany prestige? I know cable and streaming and what-all have had an effect but it goes back to quality programs and producing enough episodes to care and givign them chances to be discovered, enjoyed, and tinkered with, if necessary. I am weary of SHARK TANK reruns, a reprun every third episode, long stretches between runs of favorite series. Really?

Barbara • on Jan 22, 2014 9:24 am

Well said!
Sometimes I wonder – have the networks just given up? There used to be a time when you could count on NBC and ABC for great literary miniseries, when you could count on Friday and Saturday nights of solid comedy and family lineups. Even farther back than that there were rotating series in the 70s and 80s (MacMillan and Wife with Columbo and another one). There was innovation in how to offer content, but there was content. Now it is tired looking “talent” competitions, cheap looking reality shows. Saturday? They just gave up while Lifetime is doing original romantic suspense movies. Sunday? They abandoned to “Breaking Bad” and “Walking Dead” and pay cable. And momentum counts, especially when they now want to develop a series or season arc. Used to be a show debuted in September, ended in May and a series run was at least 26 episodes.
CBS is still invested in strong drama, but they seem to be trying too hard to wedge it into the “procedural” mold – works for “CSI” does not work for “Elementary”.
And you are right – that move by NBC to a Leno show at 10 PM was a boneheaded move.

BDTrooper • on Jan 22, 2014 9:24 am

Supernatural is the show that just keeps going. To be in your ninth season and post your largest audience in over three years is amazing. It’s also a testament to the show’s ability to evolve and stay interesting despite only having two leads, and one or two main supporting players. Most shows that get this far are running out of steam. Supernatural clearly is not. And with a tenth season on the way, this show should be getting more recognition (other than Peoples Choice Awards) than it does.

mike • on Jan 22, 2014 9:24 am

I agree completely. I record and watch every episode of Supernatural and have since its first year. Love the storylines, the demon and angelic characters, and the relationship between Sam and Dean.

joshreader • on Jan 22, 2014 9:24 am

“Supernatural” is the opposite of “Girls,” in that “Supernatural” gets solid (and sometimes huge) ratings, but the media never writes about it. “Girls” gets minute ratings, but the media can’t shut up about it.

Ratings summary for the big 4 networks: NBC won demo with a tiny 1.85 average because CBS gave their men the night off and ran repeats. That said, CBS still won total viewers. Basically, we are at a point on the other tv networks where the programming is so off-putting, boring, unwatchable, disgusting; insert an adjective, that Americans would rather watch old CBS repeats from March of 2013, nothing at all, or channel surf. And yeah a new Agents of Shield would have benefitted ABC significantly, totally changing their fortunes on the night. It still remains that they continue to order shows with no repeat value. ABC’s scripted programming performs so poorly in repeats that they basically have to order all new summer programming to get through the off season. How is that cost effective? Moreover, even that is becoming a challenge because they order so many DOA shows. Disney can do movies well from time to time(They had their share of major flops last year.) but they are completely inept in finding a competent head of programming that will first purchase, and then secondly schedule dramas and comedies, sports programming, and event specials that are powerful, clever, funny, intellectually honest, and most importantly, entertaining. Everything purchased for ABC can’t just appeal to one small segment of society. Americans, particularly young Americans, are just choosing to ignore, or not watch ABC at all. The demo numbers have spoken loudly over the last three years concerning ABC’s trajectory. But, make no mistake the same can be said for FOX and NBC as well. The sad thing is who knows if it’s that they can’t find well written, decent comedies and dramas that appeal to everyone. Perhaps those types of writers/producers don’t exist in the places they are looking for leadership.

George • on Jan 22, 2014 9:24 am

Finally watched a couple of episodes I had recorded of Killer Women…kinda like it..wasn’t as bad as some people were insinuating. To bad it is slated for the scrap heap next month.

mike • on Jan 22, 2014 9:24 am

NBC’s Dracula deserves credit. It is a classy, intelligent, well done show.